Tip: Senior centers are the place to be
Joan Cheatham, left, gets a basketball lesson from Shante Evans, a forward on Hofstra University's baskeball team, at the Long Beach Senior Community Service Center. Credit: Handout
When it comes to social networking, your kids and grandkids probably have Facebook. You might prefer face time.
An often underutilized resource available to Long Islanders 60 and older is the network of senior centers. With scores of centers dotting the Island, there is a place for friendship, entertainment and a nourishing meal near you.
"Senior centers are often the only conduit some seniors have for socialization, recreation, meals and linkage to life-enhancing service in the community," says Elaine Rockoff, director of community-based programs for Jewish Association Serving the Aging. As a contracting agency funded by the counties, JASA operates 23 centers in the metropolitan area, including ones in Long Beach and Commack.
Each of the Island's senior centers has its own programs and runs under its own set of rules because some are under the direction of the counties, while others are operated by the towns or other jurisdictions. Some restrict programs to county residents, while others require that you be a resident of the community where the center operates.
No matter which center you choose, there's an array of activities aimed at improving your health or just having fun. For example, in February, there's mah-jongg every Wednesday morning at Inwood Senior Community Service Center in Lawrence and line dancing every Friday morning at Great Neck Senior Community Service Center. East Hampton Senior Center offers blood-pressure screenings the first Wednesdays of each month, including this Wednesday. And several Suffolk centers hold intensive diabetes classes throughout the year. Most centers provide an inexpensive lunch, sometimes the only hot meal a senior has during the day.
"People who attend senior centers come to be with friends, to socialize or to have lunch together," says Mindy Leeper, director of the Long Beach Senior Center. Among the offerings at Long Beach are myriad cultural, social, recreational and educational programs. "And a lot of movement and physical-fitness courses," Leeper says. She is especially proud of her center's intergenerational programs, in which seniors have teamed up with students for hunger-awareness campaigns.
Admission to the centers is free, although there might be a small charge for some special events. Because of state and local budget belt-tightening, many centers suggest small contributions for some programs, although donating is often voluntary.
To find a center near you, Nassau residents can call 516-227-8959.
In Suffolk, call 631-853-8200.
